How your customer feels about their experience with your business or brand (you met, did not meet, or exceeded their expectations) is ultimately the thing that matters most and the thing that you can focus on the most to create long-term brand impact. Now, consider that 90% of people use online reviews to decide who they’re going to do business with, and let’s look at some practical ways you can use that concept to actually attract more business.
Set Up a Google My Business Page
For local businesses, this is probably the most important thing you can do—arguably even more important than actually having a website. In fact, if you haven’t done it, stop reading now, click this link, set up your profile, and then come back and finish reading. It’s that important. Here’s why…
Google My Business results show up in multiple places whenever somebody searches for your business. Whether somebody is using the Google Maps app on their phone or using the browser bar on their computer, your Google business profile will often be the first thing they see. And right there in that profile are your reviews.
Get At Least 5 Reviews
You have to get at least five reviews before they show up. Once you reach that milestone, the volume, the type (good or bad, long or short, real or fake), and the timeliness of the reviews can impact your overall search ranking. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers for a review, by the way. Real estate agents do this all the time. Post a link to your Google My Business page on Facebook and incentivize customers with a special offer or prize to add a review. People are busy and reviewing your business online is probably pretty low on their priority list. Make it easy for them, and you’ll get responses.
Respond to Your Reviews. All of Them.
Don’t be shy. Your rankings get a boost if they have legitimate engagement on them. If someone posts a positive review, thank them for it. If someone posts a negative review, respond in kind. It shows other prospective customers that you take their feelings seriously and that there are actual real live people on the other side of your profile, which can also create a by-product of getting you even more reviews. It’s not just your Google reviews, by the way. External sites like Yelp and other places also feed your ranking.
Don’t Forget to Deliver an Outstanding Customer Experience.
And now we come full-circle. If you’re not delivering a customer experience worth remembering, much-less worth reviewing, ignore this article and read this one and this one instead.
Knowing how, where and why the customer experience creates brand impact should be part of the overall vision for your business and should be shared frequently with your team, as well, so everyone can be working towards achieving the same results.